Opa's place -Where an old rooster visits with friends

[NotAFarm]

Quote:
Highlander, Sorry to hear of the poor hatches

.....I can't offer any advice since I don't own an incubator but will be hoping the next batch is better.

Ugh, we have 7 inches on the ground and the low Sunday night was 5 F. High today is suppose to be 17 F. There is suppose to be a bit of a warm up on Thursday, but that comes with more snow.............. I'm ready for Spring too!!

Enjoying a cup of coffee before work

I hope everyone has a beautiful day. Later, Mary

 

[Opa]

Winter is here in spite of all my efforts to ignore it. I was surprised that we went the entire last two weeks of November without anything other than snow flurries. Now seven days into December we only have enough snow to barely cover the grass. It is snowing right now, but I don't think we will get much today. However, the forecast for later in the week is for heavier snows. I've only had to deal with frozen waterers for two weeks and I am already tired of it. I have heated waterers for both flocks of hens but the pens with the roosters have to be changed daily as they do freeze.

Thistle I don't know what to suggest to improve your hatches. I had thought with the new incubator that you'd be a hatching queen.

Tomorrow I have to go to my friend Bob's house to finish repairing his barn so that the snow won't blow in or critters take up residence. David is there today working on the house remodel and by the end of the week it will be ready for the drywallers.

I think I will probably spend the rest of the week trying to increase our venison supply. For some unexplicable reason I can't seem to kindle my enthusiasm to sit in the woods. Perhaps the fact that 80% of the trees in my woods have been killed by the emerald ash borer and many of them have fallen creating a tangled maze that I now must drag my deer through might be a factor. Or perhaps it's the large painful arthritis knots on my fingers that throb with the cold. I do know that if I don't get it in gear and take at least five more deer I won't be making sausage and a lot of people are going to be disappointed.

 

[Highlander]

I hope you have more luck with the hunting Sam, that venison sausage sounds wonderful.

Well I got 3 chicks in the end. One from my own Brahma eggs and 2 Burford Browns which are a Marans derived dark brown egg laying hybrid. I really was hoping for more but it is what it is. I haven't decided yet if I will set some more right away or wait now until Spring. My head is telling me to wait........ so I will probably go ahead and set some more.

 

[Opa]

Thistle, my beautiful flower, where would we be if we use logic and common sense before we do things. Bitter cold and snow, frozen waterers, trying to keep brooder temperatures up; sounds like you will be sitting more eggs.

 

[Highlander]

I wouldn't bet against it.

How are things in Michigan today?

 

[Opa]

Bitter cold, single digit temps. I think that it is the coldest day so far this winter. We currently are much colder than you are and a substantial snow storm is headed this way.
It's cold all over the US, even Ranchie is going to have to face very cold temperatures. Since most houses in the south aren't insulated for cold weather she will suffer more than I even though our predicted high is 20 degrees lower than hers.

I'm not going to work or hunt today. I'm going to spend the day helping Granny make pizzelles, the Italian anise flavored waffle cookie. She has a Xmas party to go to on Saturday and wants to take cookies. Of course it would be foolish to make just a single batch.

 

[Highlander]

A day inside baking sounds just the ticket. I made a batch of brownies yesterday but i doubt they will last until the end of the day so I will probably do some oatmeal raisin cookies today.

Stay warm.

 

[Opa]

as the old Pillsbury commercial says "nothing says lovin' like something from the oven".

 

[Lunachick]

Hello to everyone on this thread.

I've been following here and there but have been kinda busy myself, now I have a moment to post. I just want to wish you all a warm & cozy holiday season!

I usually make a bunch of different cookies for Christmas and stuff, but this year I want to do different things. I'm going to try baklava

and I'm trying to think of some other different things. Maybe something I don't particularly like so I don't end up eating most of it. lol I made some gluten free brownies a couple of weeks ago and one by one ate them all. They ended up being a gooey mess and took me a couple of days but I managed nicely.

If anything, I just love the smell in the kitchen when baking is being done. Sometimes I just add some mulling spices in a small saucepan of water and let that simmer, nothing like coming into a warm house after being out in the cold (22* here) and smelling that!

Opa, those things granny is gonna make sounds good. Good luck with the hunting!

 

[mamagardener]

hello everyone....I haven't been around too much lately. I blame it on Frontierville and Farmville, they take up too much of my computer time! How's everyone been? It is cold here, right now at 3 in the afternoon the thermometer is reading 21. So like Highlander said...is it spring yet? Winter hasn't even officially started and it feels like January already. Oh well every season has it's beauty. I just can't stand the darkness so early, by 7 at night I am ready for bed. I feel bad for my 10 year old, he loves to be outside, but it gets dark in less than an hour after he gets off the school bus. The only good thing about the early darkness is it is easier to get the kids to bed at night.